It was time to celebrate. We had just found out that my wife was pregnant, and I was about to leave on a 15-day work trip far away from home.
I was excited about the prospect of being a father, and I was feeling expansive a day short of an all-expenses-paid trip, so I decided to take my good wife to Heaven.
There is much to be seen in the Hermanus and Hemel-en-Aarde Valley area. The Hemel-en-Aarde wine route includes famous vineyards like Bouchard Finlayson, Hamilton Russel, Sumaridge and Newton Johnson, all found within a stretch of about 6km.
Hermanus has the whales and Whale Festival the last week of September every year, when the whales are still around in great numbers. One can marvel at their size and grace, wallowing in water so close to the rocks one can almost touch them.
Every year, despite the ferocious attempts of Norwegian and Japanese whalers to decimate them while the rest of the world looks on, the whales return to Walker Bay to calve, mate and relax.
Sometimes they sing. If you are lucky enough to hear one of the last giants of our planet sing, consider yourself blessed.
Hermanus is also home to a rare Blue Flag Beach in Grotto Beach, and Hawston Beach and Kleinmond Beach, also with Blue Flag Status, are nearby.
There is also the famous surfing beach of Voelklip in Hermanus, where surfers and bodyboarders ride the waves every afternoon. For those a bit more brave there are Bay View's giant waves, but these are only attempted by skilled local and international big wave surfers every winter.
On top of the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley one finds the Newton Johnson Wine Farm with its award-winning cellar. Next to the tasting-room sits the restaurant with one of the best views in the country, Heaven Restaurant.
I decided to take a chance and arrive without booking, hoping for a table for the two for us. My wife, already radiant with the news of our impending family, smiled an even larger smile when she heard the lunch plan. Credit card dramas, interest rates and food prices had resulted in us not going to a restaurant for a few months, so it was smiles all round.
We were in luck. We were given the last table, near the entrance. Not the best seats in the house, but even the cheap seats in Heaven are impressive.
I had promised my wife a long time ago that when she fell pregnant I would stop drinking with her, for the sake of solidarity. We were going to do this together. We were going to puzzle out the whole mystery of childbirth and child rearing as a team. We needed to concentrate, make sensible decisions. Drink had no part to play in this exciting part of our life.
It took me a few minutes before temptation crawled all over my brain and I chose a bottle of Newton Johnson Pinot Noir for myself. My wife was slightly disappointed with me, but I was cheerful. I hadn't tried the wine yet, despite hearing so much about it. It was in short supply due to its popularity. It was well rounded and delicious and I found myself on my second glass in an extraordinarily short amount of time.
I decided on a starter and main, my wife on a main with dessert. I was happy with this; I still had the wine.
My starter was the fillet steak carpaccio. It came served with homemade Dijon mustard mayonnaise, rocket, pecorino flakes and capers. It was delightful and tangy, although rather filling for a carpaccio. One of those "rather fillings" that you really don't mind.
For mains I went for the Heaven speciality, the "Blooming Onion". This dish is a deep-fried whole onion smothered with a mint cream cheese mix, tandoori chicken strips, with a salsa of pineapple and coriander. Fairly decadent, but not too heavy and not too rich, this was a tasty and different main, washed down with some more of the still-improving Pinot Noir.
My wife went for the Nicoise Salad for her main, and was enthusiastic about it, despite the fact that it came with a smattering of caviar that wasn't mentioned on the menu.
She gave me the caviar and I passed her some of my onion, we're good like that. The Nicoise Salad contained fresh green beans, tomato, tuna, artichokes and a poached egg on top, and according to my wife, was quite superlative in its freshness. The two of us scraped our plates clean after our main courses.
For dessert my wife chose the ice cream and chocolate sauce, of which I stole about half and spilled about half on the table while transporting it to my mouth on a spoon.
We were attended to by Carel, who laughed along with us despite the restaurant being completely full, and some of the guests quite demanding.
We told him right in the beginning that we were there to while away the afternoon and there really was no need to run around for us, so things went well from then onwards.
Bruce and Yolande were the cooks and they run a busy ship, with the restaurant being full most breakfasts and lunches. Bruce came out of the kitchen to check with a few of the guests and to say hello after his big rush.
The Pinot was starting to make me a bit drowsy so I ordered a double espresso. Unfortunately this came as a single, so I asked for a replacement. I was immediately presented with a fresh double, was told to keep the single, and after drinking all three was only charged for the single.
My wife commented that I drank all the wine to get drunk and then drank the coffee to sober up and it all seemed a bit pointless, but I was happy and content and about to leave home for a few weeks so I felt no reason to justify my actions.
My stomach was full, my wife pregnant, I had some lovely alcohol in my bloodstream and the view from the restaurant was breathtaking.
Life could be worse.
The meal, including a tip of a little more than 10 percent, came to R450, and I ate and drank the lion's share of R310.
Getting there
- Approaching Hermanus from the Cape Town side, there is a set of traffic lights between Onrus and Hermanus. Right takes you into Sandbaai; left takes you into the Hemel-en-Aarde valley. Turn left and travel for just over 8km, heading towards Caledon. The Newton Johnson farm is on your right. Simply drive up the gravel path.
- They are open Tuesdays to Sundays 10am to 3pm and you do need to book in advance. Telephone 072 905 3947; www.newtonjohnson.com/heaven
- You will see other winefarms on the left and the right. Most of them are open all week as well as weekends.
- If you wish to see Hermanus's whales and glorious beaches, then continue through the Hemel-en-Aarde valley and Sandbaai intersection for about 3km into the heart of the town. The whale watching viewpoints are in the centre of town and the beaches on the far side of town.